Maltipoos are small fluffy and fun!
A cross between a toy or miniature Poodle and a Maltese. Their size, fur type and color can vary depending on the poodle parent.
Generally, they are easy to train, active and great for allergy sufferers.
Watch our Maltipoos in action!
Size
Maltipoos are considered to be a wonderful lap dog and can vary depending on their parents and grandparents.
Maltese male is 8 – 10 inches (21 – 25 cm) Females 8 – 9 inches (20 – 23 cm) and they weigh: 6½ – 9 pounds (3 – 4 kg).
Poodles – Miniature – Height: 11 – 15 inches (28 – 38 cm) Weight: 15 – 17 pounds (7 – 8 kg) Toy – Height: up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) Weight: 6 – 9 pounds (3 – 4 kg)
The size of a Maltipoo will be largely dependent on the poodle side of things since there really isn’t a lot of variation in the sizes of a Maltese.
A toy poodle is generally used when mixing the breed and this will result in an adult Maltipoo between 7-12 lbs.
Temperament
A Maltese can tend to be wary of strangers but “extremely” loyal to their owners. They are not quite as gregarious as a poodle. The Maltipoo can therefore be full of fun with their owners but may be hesitant with strangers. It is very important to take your Maltipoo with you and expose them to people and situations that will create a confident, happy adult.
Separation anxiety can also be a problem with this hybrid cross due to their loyal nature. You can avoid this by crate training them at a young age and continuing to use the crate when leaving them alone. They will learn to feel secure and know that you will return.
Also, when strangers come to your home, allow and in some cases, I would force them to sit on other peoples lap.
This will help them to be more social and confident. When people come to our home, our dogs want to visit and sit with our company. People usually like this and our dogs learn to love everyone.
Maltipoos can learn to love everybody, but you have to help them do that.
“Remember, our dogs mirror our behavior, just like kids.”
Often we create our own problems with our dogs and then we get mad at them and wonder why. Okay I will stop my rant Lol.
Barking. Lets not forget this important category!
A Maltese is on this planet to serve his master and be as loyal as possible. This description alone should tell you that they will be an alarmist. They can learn not to go on an on about it, but they have to be taught.
It is in the DNA of a Maltese to let you know what is happening.
So… there is potential for your adorable Maltipoo to bark. Plain and simple. They can be taught not to, but just know they might Lol!
Color
We all know that a Maltese is white. We also know that a poodle comes in a variety of colors and there are even spotted or parti poodles.
For this reason, there can be a variety of colors in the Maltipoo hybrid mix. Never minimize the grandparents influence on your pup. If the grandparent on the poodle side was red, you could possibly have red pups even though the parent poodle is not red.
That is what is fun about a Maltipoo, they come in all different colors of the rainbow.
Coat
Maltipoo pups within the same litter can have very different types of coats. Some might be curly, while others are more like the Maltese and a bit straighter. Either way, they have hair and not fur.
For this reason they do not shed much and require grooming regularly.
Although they might be good for some allergy sufferers, others might not be able to tolerate their coat. It all depends on the individual dog and individual person. Spend time with the pup before committing yourself.
Health Concerns
When crossing two purebred dogs many agree that because the gene pool is varied, health concerns are not as great with the hybrid mix. Not to say they disappear, but they can be reduced or minimized with first generation.
Reading the long list of health problems in most purebred dogs can give most people chills.
Anything can happen when breeding a living breathing animal, but generally, I feel if the parents are healthy, the offspring will be as well.
The biggest problem is the environment they live in after they are 8 weeks old. It is what we feed them and expose them too that will make the greater difference for their over all health.
We have also been trained by some veterinarian professionals that they require more toxic medicine than they really need and if they limp they might need knee surgery.
You may think this is a bit over the top, but I assure you it is not.
Many people are starting to realize that big business is controlling the health of their pet.
Be a responsible pet owner and take control of your pets health. Research, look up reviews online and just be an active participant in their health. don’t believe everything you are told. Just saying!!
I have learned from prominent Holistic Vets that many health issues are related to the vaccines and especially when they are over vaccinated. Yearly vaccinations are not necessary in my opinion and they do irreparable damage to our dogs. If you do a blood titer, you can see if their antibodies are strong enough to resist the disease you want to protect them from. Check out DogsNaturallyMagazine for natural alternatives that vets are now recommending.
A healthy dog stems from a healthy diet, minimal medical intervention and of course a happy environment with plenty of exercise.
Summary
These happy and adorable little lap dogs make great family pets. They are small, moderately active, love you (could have separation anxiety), smart and easy to train. If kept at a proper weight, will be active and fun for years to come.
